High Performance Editing Machine Build for Divinci Resolve

[Jeremy Wiles]

I'm about to build a new custom editing machine for editing 6-8k on Davinci Resolve. If you were building today, what parts would you recommend for a high-performance machine? I'd like to keep the price under $12k. Thanks for any feedback and help!

CPU:
Graphics Card: How many?
Motherboard:
RAM:
OS Drive:
Cache Drive:
Storage Drive:
Power Supply:
CPU Cooler:
Case:
Operating System: Windows 10
Anything else?

I also need the machine to access shared storage, but I'm not sure what that connection will be yet. I don't have experience with shared storage. We're navigating this right now, but want fast speeds to future proof as much as possible.

 

[Tom S]

I always think of CPU for PP and GPUs for DR. I have an AMD Threadripper 2950x and I don't have a delay with RED Dragon 6k footage in PP. I have 2 x 1080Ti GPUs and no delay in DR. DR can level load across multiple GPUs. Be careful of CPU because the 32-core 2990x has lower performance in some software that can't handle that many cores yet. I got a Wraith Ripper as a fan and avoid the whole water cooling system. I work in Windows 10 with 64 GB of DDR4 memory. I have 2 x 1TB SSDs for OS and 6 x 10TB WD Red internal HDs for storage so I don't need a NAS/RAID. I also backup to LTO tapes. My build works great.

 

[Jeremy Wiles]

I always think of CPU for PP and GPUs for DR. I have an AMD Threadripper 2950x and I don't have a delay with RED Dragon 6k footage in PP. I have 2 x 1080Ti GPUs and no delay in DR. DR can level load across multiple GPUs. Be careful of CPU because the 32-core 2990x has lower performance in some software that can't handle that many cores yet. I got a Wraith Ripper as a fan and avoid the whole water cooling system. I work in Windows 10 with 64 GB of DDR4 memory. I have 2 x 1TB SSDs for OS and 6 x 10TB WD Red internal HDs for storage so I don't need a NAS/RAID. I also backup to LTO tapes. My build works great.

Thanks, Tom. I really appreciate the feedback. I've never used DR, so this is new territory for me. Considering you can use multiple GPU's, I would think that playback would be much better in DR than PP. Has that been your experience? I've read that if you're building a system for DR, then go with AMD Radeon, but if PP, then go with Nvidia. If I decide to edit with DR, then wouldn't 2 Radeon Vii cards outperform a single GTX 2080 ti?

 

[Misha Engel]

CPU: AMD - Threadripper 1950X 3.4 GHz 16-Core Processor ($449.99 @ Amazon) All 6k in realtime 8k 8:1 24fps in realtime
You can update the CPU around the end of the year with a 32 or 48 core threadripper for around $1.500..2.000(for 2x 8k streams in realtime full-res premium)
CPU Cooler: Enermax - Liqtech TR4 II 280 80.71 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte - X399 AORUS XTREME EATX TR4 Motherboard ($427.99 @ Amazon) 10G ethernet and powerfull VRM's for the upcoming 32/48 core CPU's
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($529.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($529.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung - 970 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($297.99 @ Newegg) System drive
Storage: Samsung - 970 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($297.99 @ Newegg) 2 in raid0 for scratch drive
Storage: Samsung - 970 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($297.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate - IronWolf 10 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($249.99 @ Newegg) 6 drives in raid10 for speed and security
Storage: Seagate - IronWolf 10 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($249.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate - IronWolf 10 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($249.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate - IronWolf 10 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($249.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate - IronWolf 10 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($249.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate - IronWolf 10 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($249.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: ASRock - Radeon VII 16 GB Phantom Gaming X Video Card ($669.99 @ Newegg Business) 16 GB for 8k post production
Video Card: ASRock - Radeon VII 16 GB Phantom Gaming X Video Card ($669.99 @ Newegg Business)
Case: Nanoxia - NXDS6B ATX Full Tower Case ($382.32 @ Amazon) just a big case
Power Supply: Thermaltake - Toughpower DPS G RGB Titanium 1500 W 80+ Titanium Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($249.90 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit ($139.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $6573.95
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Small material (fans, screws, cable, etc.. $125)

DeckLink 4K Extreme 12G $895

~ totals $7.600

You also might need an edit/grade display, keyboard, mouse, resolve panel.

 

[DC Chavez]

These guys do ALL the benchmarking and design program-specific systems... They can show you things like if you're using resolve, spending $300 to jump up to the next processor will only give you a 3% bump in performance. (Just an example from the i9 9960x to the 9980x)

This is their color grading base setup:

https://www.pugetsystems.com/recommended/Recommended-Systems-for-DaVinci-Resolve-187/Buy_214

i recently had them quote me on a Premiere / Resolve hybrid system and then I built it myself- adding a few more bells and whistles (including watercooling) along the way. Its a great starting point.

 

[Bob Zelin]

I agree with the decision for Puget Systems. Great company. You are an editor, or a shooter. You do not build custom PC's. Just go to Puget Systems, and get a machine that will do exactly what you want.
You already said you are willing to spend 12 Grand for this machine - you won't have to spend anything near that with Puget systems.

As for the shared storage system for Resolve - ask away. This is what I do - including the PostgreSQL shared database.

Bob Zelin

 

[Blair S. Paulsen]

(snip) Video Card: ASRock - Radeon VII 16 GB Phantom Gaming X Video Card ($669.99 @ Newegg Business) 16 GB for 8k post production (snip)

Thanks for the note on the 16GB Radeon VII cards - mo' VRAM is mo' bettah. If I needed a new build ASAP I'd still go nVidia 2080s to leverage those CUDA cores. That said, Apple and AMD seem motivated to improve drivers, graphics stacks, etc for the new MacPro 7,1. I'd expect some of those efforts will yield secondary benefits for all AMD GPUs. FWIW, for years it's largely been the drivers - not the silicon - that has been AMD's weakness. If they can button that up...

Cheers - #19

 

[Misha Engel]

Thanks for the note on the 16GB Radeon VII cards - mo' VRAM is mo' bettah. If I needed a new build ASAP I'd still go nVidia 2080s to leverage those CUDA cores. That said, Apple and AMD seem motivated to improve drivers, graphics stacks, etc for the new MacPro 7,1. I'd expect some of those efforts will yield secondary benefits for all AMD GPUs. FWIW, for years it's largely been the drivers - not the silicon - that has been AMD's weakness. If they can button that up...

Cheers - #19

2080 has 8 GB, wouldn't pick that one. 2080ti has 11 GB and should be okay most of the time with 5k. Titan X and Radeon VII have the memory to handle 8k.
Drivers haven't been a problem with Resolve for the last 2 years with AMD, with VEGA and Radeon VII just turn HBCC on (press drivers have).

When you want to edit 2x 8k.R3D 5:1 24fps in realtime full-res premium in Resolve, you have to wait for support of the NVidia+RED solution or the new threadripper that is fast enough to decode 2 streams in realtime.

When both work the choice can be:
A. $500 CPU + 2x $2500 GPU ~ $5500
B. $500 CPU + 2x $700 GPU + upgrade $2000 CPU ~ $1900 + $2000 ~ $3900

I prefer option B.

 

[Misha Engel]

AMD Radeon VII is no longer in production.

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-radeon-vii-reaches-end-of-life